Australia has an aging population with increasing numbers embarking on the major life transition to retirement when compared to previous decades. The Australian university sector has experienced considerable upheaval as it has undergone austerity measures to attempt to manage the impact of the pandemic. The objective of this study was to conduct…

Professor Emeritus is an honourary title recognising distinguished academic service. It is conferred to selected faculty members of a university upon their retirement. This exploration of the role of professor emeritus on campuses aims to stimulate debate about how universities could use their knowledge and skills as mentors for students, faculty,…

Creative approaches to academic retirement can yield benefits for retirees, their institutions, and society at large.

Most private sector employees have access to defined contribution retirement plans while public sector employees often may choose defined benefit or defined contribution plans. This research utilized a survey of faculty to analyze retirement plan satisfaction. Advice from a financial planner was positively associated with satisfaction with…

Authors reflect on ways that honors practitioners have experienced various professional transitions and provide insights to help others successfully manage such changes.

Veteran professors synthesize their combined 60+ years of expertise at primarily undergraduate, teaching-focused universities into easy-to-follow advice for graduate students and current faculty seeking to build thriving careers at similar institutions. Writing in a friendly tone that includes their personal reflections, the authors guide readers…

Implementing retirement innovations requires careful attention to the organizational change process.

This chapter reviews discourses about "senior" and retired faculty. These discourses suggest a deficit or burden-based view that shapes the values and practices of faculty and department chairs. Yet retired faculty can be valuable resources and help with teaching, service, and research. A process for changing departmental views to create…

In this paper I want to think about some of the issues involved in trying to do inclusive and socially just education research. I draw on two education research projects that I am involved with. The first project is a small-scale exploratory study with twelve Education academics who are 'staying on' post retirement. The second is a major…

This chapter describes the types of organizations that have been established in recent years to enhance the experience and engagement of retirees from higher education institutions. Using the University of Southern California as an example, it also introduces a range of strategies institutions can employ to ease the transition into retirement.

This holistic single-case study reports on the benefits mentors derived from participating in the Increasing Minority Presence within Academia through Continuous Training (IMPACT) mentoring program. The IMPACT program was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Office for Broadening Participation in Engineering 15-7680 (awards #1542728 and…

Faculty working well beyond retirement age has become an issue in higher education that includes increased expenditures in benefits and salaries, hindrance of hiring minorities and women, and teaching effectiveness. The effects of aging faculty contribute to the factors in student retention. A few factors in student success involve affordability,…

Community colleges are experiencing a retirement crisis. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Association of Community College Trustees (2018) reported that as many as half of community college presidents presiding in 2016 were likely to retire by 2021. Many current community college vice presidents are not interested in…

Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings is the former Kellner Family Distinguished Professor of Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She served as president of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in 2005-2006. Dr. Ladson-Billings has contributed widely to the development of…

The population of the United States is getting older. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), older workers -- which the BLS defines as those who are 55 and older -- made up 22% of the U.S. workforce in 2016, nearly double the 12% recorded in 1995. This increase is largely "fueled by the aging baby-boom generation, a large…